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S2555A
2026 -- S 2555 SUBSTITUTE A
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LC004710/SUB A
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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A N A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE SUPPORT AND ACCESS TO BILINGUAL
EDUCATION ACT
Introduced By:
Senators McKenney, Ciccone, Vargas, Tikoian, Britto, Gu, Murray, and
Acosta
Date Introduced:
February 13, 2026
Referred To:
Senate Finance
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Title 16 of the General Laws entitled "EDUCATION" is hereby amended by
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adding thereto the following chapter:
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CHAPTER 54.1
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THE SUPPORT AND ACCESS TO BILINGUAL EDUCATION ACT
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16-54.1-1. Short title.
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This chapter shall be known and may be cited as “The Support and Access to Bilingual
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Education Act.”
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16-54.1-2. Definitions.
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For the purposes of this chapter:
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(1) “Bilingual dual language teacher”, or “BDL teacher,” means a teacher who provides
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integrated language and content instruction in a partner language only or in a partner language and
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in English, appropriate to the instructional program model they teach in, and holds the appropriate
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certification pursuant to regulation 200-RICR-20-20-1.
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(2) “Bilingual language instruction program model” or "Bilingual education program
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model” is an approach that serves multilingual learners at all stages of English language
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development and who share a common home/native language. The goal of this approach is
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proficiency and literacy in English and a partner language, as well as content achievement in both
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English and a partner language. Instruction is provided in both English and home/native or partner
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language. The bilingual education approach consists of dedicated English language development
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and integrated language and content instruction components and can be structured in any of the
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instructional program models as defined by 200-RICR-20-30-3.
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(3) "Department" means the department of elementary and secondary education.
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(4) "Eligible teacher" means a full-time teacher certified to teach in a kindergarten through
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grade twelve (K-12) school by the department of elementary and secondary education and is
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actively teaching within a public school with a high-incidence of multilingual learners in
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accordance with regulation 200-RICR-20-30-3.
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(5) "High incidence of multilingual learners" means a local educational agency with a
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multilingual learners student population that meets at least one of the following two (2) criteria: (i)
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Is greater than or equal to two hundred and fifty (250) total multilingual learners; or (ii) Is greater
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than or equal to twenty percent (20%) of the local educational agency's total student population
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pursuant to the Rhode Island regulations governing the education of multilingual learners (200-
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RICR-20-30-3).
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(6) "Local education agency" or "LEA" shall have the same meaning as defined in § 16-
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92-3.
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(7) "Multilingual individual" means an individual who has demonstrated advanced low or
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higher proficiency in the target language of certification in accordance with the American Council
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on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency scale through any of the approved
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seal of biliteracy language proficiency assessments including, but not limited to: ACT, SAT,
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advanced placement (English language and composition, English literature and composition, and
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world language), ACCESS, LAS Links (Form C/D), AAPPL, STAMP 4S, and ASLPI.
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(8) "Qualifying languages" means the most common languages other than English spoken
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in the local education agency according to the U.S. Census Bureau and department data sources.
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(9) "State" means the State of Rhode Island.
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(10) "World language educator" means a person who is certified by the department of
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elementary and secondary education as an all grades world language teacher in accordance with
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regulation 200-RICR-20-20-1.
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16-54.1-3. Support and access to bilingual education act fund authorized.
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(a) The department shall establish and maintain a bilingual education support fund to
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provide grants to traditional public school districts that establish and expand bilingual language
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instruction program models; community-based organizations in collaboration with traditional
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public school districts that establish and expand bilingual language instruction program models; or
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institutions of higher education in partnership with traditional public school districts that establish
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and expand bilingual language instruction program models.
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(b) The fund shall consist of:
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(1) Appropriations made by the general assembly pursuant to this section;
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(2) Charitable contributions to the fund; and
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(3) Other sources deemed appropriate by the department.
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16-54.1-4. Implementation of traditional public school district dual language
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programs.
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(a) Eligibility for applicants shall be a minimum of one the following:
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(1) A traditional public school district within the state;
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(2) A community-based organization working in partnership with one or more traditional
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public school district(s) within the state; or
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(3) An institution of higher education (IHE) working in partnership with one or more
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traditional public school district(s) within the state.
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(b) An applicant may be eligible to receive a grant pursuant to the provisions of this chapter
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if:
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(1) The traditional public school district uses or is planning to create a high-quality
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bilingual language instruction program model in accordance with chapter 54 of title 16 (“education
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of limited English proficient students”) and in accordance with regulations promulgated pursuant
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thereto.
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(2) The LEA has a high incidence of multilingual learners as defined in 200-RICR-20-30-
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3. For purposes of this section, the qualifying language(s) of instruction, in addition to English,
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shall be determined based on the predominant home language(s) of the multilingual learner (MLL)
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student population.
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(3) The LEA develops and commits to an immediate or gradual staffing plan to support the
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kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) dual language program.
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(c) Traditional public school districts are encouraged to leverage existing funds including
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the state share of the MLL funding formula distribution and federal funds.
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(d) Traditional public school district, community-based organization, and institution of
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higher education recipients funded pursuant to § 16-54.1-3, shall utilize such monies for dual
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language program planning and implementation activities including, but not limited to:
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(1) Partnering with education professionals and organizations to design programs;
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(2) Developing and executing professional development for administrators and instructors;
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or
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(3) Traditional public school districts self-evaluation program planning and
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implementation of staffing needs including, but not limited to:
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(i) Providing financial support for bilingual dual language and world language teacher
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certification;
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(ii) Providing in-service educator dual language professional development;
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(iii) Procuring high-quality curricular materials to enhance dual language instruction; and
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(iv) Other activities designed to facilitate or promote the LEA’s existing or emerging dual
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language programs.
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(e) Only programs that adhere to high quality dual language program standards shall be
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funded.
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16-54.1-5. Strategy and support to expand teaching certifications for bilingual dual
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language and world language teachers.
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(a) The department shall collaborate with the office of the postsecondary commissioner,
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and in consultation with any approved educator preparation program, to increase and streamline
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the issuance of world language and bilingual dual language certifications for purposes of increasing
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the number of bilingual dual language and world language teachers in LEAs with a high incidence
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of multilingual learners as defined in 200-RICR-20-30-3.
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(b) Eligibility for applicants shall be at a minimum one of the following:
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(1) A traditional public school district within the state;
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(2) A community-based organization working in partnership with one or more traditional
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public school district(s) within the state; or
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(3) An institution of higher education (IHE) working in partnership with one or more
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traditional public school district(s) within the state.
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(c) An applicant may be eligible to receive a grant pursuant to the provisions of this chapter
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if:
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(1) Support for teacher certification costs are granted to multilingual individuals who plan
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to teach in a traditional public school district and use, or is planning to create, a high-quality
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bilingual language instruction program model in accordance with chapter 54 of title 16 (“education
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of limited English proficient students”) and further in accordance with regulations promulgated
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pursuant thereto;
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(2) The LEA has a high incidence of multilingual learners as defined in 200-RICR-20-30-
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3; or
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(3) The qualifying language(s) of instruction, in addition to English, shall be determined
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based on the predominant home language(s) of the multilingual learner student population.
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SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE SUPPORT AND ACCESS TO BILINGUAL
EDUCATION ACT
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This act would require the department of elementary and secondary education to establish
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a bilingual education support fund to provide grants to traditional public school districts that
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establish and expand bilingual language instruction program model.
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This act would take effect on July 1, 2026.
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